y chance of missing them with the bullet; and neither
powder nor lead were such plentiful articles as to be thrown away idly.
He therefore reserved his fire, and walked on.

Nothing appeared to be about the edge of the lake; and after going a
short distance he turned off from the water and headed the direction of
the cliffs. He hoped to find the herd of yaks among the rocks--for
Karl, who knew something of the natural history of these animals, had
told him that they frequented steep rocky places in preference to level
ground.

Caspar's path now led him through a belt of timber, and then appeared a
little opening on which there was a good deal of tall grass, and here
and there a low copse or belt of shrubbery.

Of course he went cautiously along--as a hunter should do--at every
fresh vista looking ahead for his game.

While passing through the open ground his attention was attracted to a
noise that appeared to be very near him. It exactly resembled the
barking of a fox--a sound with which Caspar was familiar, having often
heard foxes bark in his native country. The bark, however, appeared to
him to be louder and more distinct than that of a common fox.

"Perhaps," said he to himself, "the foxes of these mountains are bigger
than our German reynards, and can therefore bark louder. Let me see if
it be a fox. I'm not going to waste a bullet on him either; but I
should like just to have a look at a Himalaya fox."

With these reflections Caspar stole softly through the grass in the
direction whence issued the sounds.

He had not advanced many paces when he came in sight of an animal
differing altogether from a fox; but the very one that was making the
noise. This was certain, for while he stood regarding it, he perceived
it in the very act of uttering that noise, or _barking_, as we already
called it.

Caspar felt very much inclined to laugh aloud, on perceiving that the
barking animal was neither fox, nor dog, nor yet a wolf, nor any other
creature that is known to bark, but on the contrary an animal of a far
different nature--a deer. Yes, it was really a deer that was giving
utterance to those canine accents.

It was a small, slightly-made creature, standing about two feet in
height, with horns seven or eight inches long. It might have passed for
an antelope; but Caspar observed that on each horn there was an antler--
a very little one, only an inch or so in length--and that decided him
that it must be an